Calm

Place/Safe Place Exercise

A state change exercise

The objective is for the client to create a safe/calm/relaxing/peaceful place in their imagination which will
be elicited through their senses. This exercise will assist clients in recognizing their own ability to shift
emotional states that they experience while also being a way for them to calm or self regulate.

Many clients that have experienced trauma have never truly had the experience of feeling ‘safe’. Allow them
to label this exercise with what they are most comfortable with (i.e. calm, safe, relaxing, etc).

Calm place should be established and utilized by client in the preparation phase of EMDR before moving
onto completing a full EMDR session.

State to Client: Before we begin EMDR, I am going to teach you an exercise that we will do to introduce you to
EMDR that will give you a feel of using bi-lateral stimulation and going inside your mind.
I would like you to imagine a place, real or imagined, that you have been or haven’t been, that makes you feel
or reminds you of being relaxed, safe, peaceful or calm. Once you have a place in mind, let me know. I will have
you close your eyes or leave them open and we will begin bi-lateral stimulation. The bi-lateral stimulation will
continue while I give you guided prompts. Just remain silent and allow yourself to just think on whatever
comes to mind. You can stop at any time if you feel uncomfortable. I will prompt you when I want you to open
your eyes and then we will process together what came up.

1. Image: Bring up the image of the place that you have in mind. Focus on this image as vividly as you
can.
2. Enhancement:
a. Sight: Notice everything that you see in this place, the colors, the time of day, the sights, if
anyone is with you or if you are alone.
b. Smell: Notice what you smell in this place
c. Hear: Listen you all the sounds in this place, is it quiet, soft, loud, soothing.
d. Taste: Notice if you are eating or drinking anything in this place.
e. Touch/Physical: Notice what you are doing in this place. Are you sitting, standing, being
still or active. Notice how you feel physically in this place. Notice the temperature of this
place, if it is warm or cold. Notice how you feel emotionally in this place.
3. Mantra: Take a deep breath in, deep breath out. Go ahead and open your eyes. Now tell me about
your place and what came up. I would like you to identify a positive statement or ‘mantra’ that can
represent this place. *Give them the list of positive cognitions or have them choose their own
statement that describes their calm place.
4. Install/Cue: This time I want you to close your eyes and bring up your calm place again. I want you
to notice all the sensations that we identified before, stimulating all of your senses. While you bring
up your image I would like you to hold onto or repeat that calm mantra you choose as you sit in
your calm place.
5. Self Cue: Have the client repeat the process on their own with no tapping to increase their ability to
repeat the exercise independently. Encourage the client to utilize this when they feel distress in and
outside of session.
6. Cue with Disturbance: Ask the client to bring up a frustration or annoyance from earlier in the
week and the feelings associated with this disturbance. Once they have identified this place guide
them back through calm place.
7. Self Cue with Disturbance: Ask the client to bring up the same disturbance but install and practice
calm place on their own, until relaxed. Encourage the client to utilize this exercise in day to day life.






Container Exercise
A state change exercise

The objective is for the client to create a place, object, or container that will provide temporary relief from
disturbances that are not completely processed or resolved between sessions.
This exercise will give clients a resource to utilize for temporary rest during their processing, that can hold
stressors/disturbances, or a skill to utilize outside of treatment when distress arises.

State to Client: I am going to teach you an exercise that you can practice to help remove stressors and that
can hold disturbances until we are able to fully process them. You can use this exercise outside of our
sessions.
I would like you to imagine an object that is secure and can hold things. The object will be something you can
easily put things into but not easily get things out of. Once you have an object in mind I will have you close
your eyes or follow my fingers with your eyes as I begin tapping on the tops of your hands. I will prompt you
when I want you to open your eyes, you will just silently process in your mind while I tap.

1. Image: Bring up the object that you have in mind. Focus on this image as vividly as you can.
2. Enhancement:
a. Sight: Notice everything that you about this object; the size, the color, the details.
b. Smell: Notice if this object has a certain smell.
c. Hear: Imagine that this object is soundproof.
d. Touch/Physical: Imagine how this object feels, how it opens and closes.
3. Extract: Take a deep breath in, deep breath out. Go ahead and open your eyes. Now tell me about
your place and what came up. I would like you to now close your eyes again and imagine yourself
putting all of your disturbances in this , worry, anger, fear, etc in this container one at a time. Once
you have them all placed inside the container I would like you to close and seal the container. Once it
is sealed I would like you to imagine that your ICON puts a passcode or lock on this container and you
do not have access to it.
4. Install/Cue: This time I want you to close your eyes and bring up your container again. I want you to
notice all the sensations that we identified before, stimulating all of your senses, noticing that all of
your distress and worry is being safely stored inside this container until it is ready to process.
5. Self Cue: Have the client repeat the process on their own with no tapping to increase their ability to
repeat the exercise independently. Encourage the client to utilize this when they feel distress.
When the stressors need to be accessed inside the container at the correct time, go through this process
but have the client and the ICON unlock or retrieve the container and only take out what needs to be
processed and then have it closed again.





 EMDR PROTOCOL

1. Presenting Issue: What is the presenting issue or memory that we will be targeting? What incident,
memory, issue or image would they like to focus on today? (include age of onset)

2. Worst Part: When they bring up this issue what is the worst part? Which part feels the most intense or
stands out the most?

3. Negative Cognition: What words go best with the incident or memory that we are targeting/focusing on?
Which statement represents the negative belief they hold about themselves because of this presenting
issue or memory? (use the NC list)

4. Positive Cognition: What words go best with how they would like to feel about themselves even though
this image or issue occurred? What do they want to believe about themselves now. (use the PC list)

5. VoC (Validity of Cognition): When they think of the incident or memory that we are targeting how true
does (repeat their positive cognition) feel to them now on a scale of 1-7 where 1 is completely false (they
don’t believe it at all) and 7 is completely true (they believe it completely)?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

6. Emotions: What emotions come up for them when they bring up or think about the presenting issue or
memory now? (Don’t ask ‘anything else)

7. Body Sensations: When they think of the original incident where do they notice it or feel it in their body?

8. SUD (Subjective Unit of Disturbance): On a scale of 0-10 where 0 is no disturbance and 10 is the most
disturbance they could have, where would they rate their disturbance level when they think of the
presenting issue now?

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Desensitization: ‘Bring up the original incident, the worst part, the negative belief you hold because of this, the
emotions you feel and notice where you feel it in your body and just see what comes up while we begin our
bilateral stimulation. Let your mind go wherever it needs to go and know that there is not a right or wrong way to
go about this.’

a. Begin BLS and after a set of BLS have the client take a deep breath in and deep breath out
b. What came up for them? Say: ‘Go with that’ and begin BLS for another set
c. Continue with this until the distress level begins to shift.
d. Check the SUD level after awhile or a change in state is noticed. Continue with A-C until the SUD level
reaches a 0-1 or the client reports it being as low as it will go
Installation: Once the SUD level is as low as it will go, see if the positive cognition still fits what they would like to
believe about themselves. If it does not fit have them select another belief they would like to hold about
themselves.
a. Check the VoC level. If they client is lower than a 6 or 7 utilize an interweave (i.e. ‘what would it take
for you to believe this fully’ or ‘what would it take for you to get to a 6 or 7’) and do a short set of taps
while they think of this. Continue checking in after each set of taps until the VoC reaches a 6 or 7
b. Once the VoC is a 6 or 7 have them bring up and hold the original incident along with the positive
cognition and do a short set of BLS (approximately 15 total) then recheck the VoC level
c. Repeat B until the positive cognition feels secure and solid

Body Scan: Have them close their eyes and bring up the original incident that we were targeting and scan their
entire body noticing if they are holding any disturbance or tension anywhere. If there is tension continue with a
short set of taps with the positive cognition until the body scan is clear.

Closure: Validate them for their bravery and progress. Remind the client that processing may continue and to
note anything significant that comes up for them. Encourage clients to reach out if needed and to practice calm
place or other resources.

Incomplete Session: If the incident or target is not fully resolved and the SUD level does not get lowered or the
VoC does not get high enough have the client put the original incident in their container until the next session.
End with calm place. At the next session re-open the container and re-establish the protocol.
Negative Cognitions
(Shapiro, 2001)

Responsibility/ I am something ‘Wrong’ Safety/Vulnerability

I don’t deserve love. I cannot be trusted.

I am a bad person. I cannot trust myself.
I am terrible. I cannot trust my judgment.
I am worthless (inadequate). I cannot trust anyone.
I am shameful. I cannot protect myself.
I am not lovable. I am in danger.
I am not good enough. It’s not okay to feel/show my emotions.
I deserve only bad things. I cannot stand up for myself.
I am permanently damaged. I cannot let it out.
I am ugly.
I do not deserve… Control/Choice
I am stupid.
I am insignificant (unimportant). I am not in control.
I am disappointment. I am powerless/helpless.
I deserve to die. I am weak.
I deserve to be miserable. I cannot get what I want.
I am different (don’t belong). I am a failure.
I will fail.
Responsibility/ I did something wrong I cannot succeed.
I have to be perfect.
I should have done something. I cannot stand it.
I did something wrong. I am inadequate.
I should have known better. I cannot trust anyone.
Positive Cognitions
(Shapiro, 2001)

Responsibility/ I am something ‘Wrong’ Safety/Vulnerability

I can be trusted.
I deserve love. I can have love.
I can (learn to) trust myself.
I am a good/loving person.
I can (learn to) trust my judgment.
I am fine as I am.
I can choose whom to trust.
I am worthy; I am worthwhile.
I can take care of myself.
I am honorable.
It’s over; I am safe now.
I am lovable.
I can safely feel my emotions.
I am deserving.
I can make my needs known.
I am okay.
I can choose to let it out.
I deserve good things.
I am (can be) healthy.
I am fine as I am. Control/Choice
I can have or deserve…
I am intelligent (or able to learn). I am now in control.
I am significant (important). I now have choice.
I deserve to live. I am strong.
I deserve to be happy. I can get what I want.
I am okay just the way I am. I can succeed.
I can be myself.
Responsibility/ I did something wrong I can make mistakes.
I can handle it.
I am capable.
I did the best I could.
I can choose whom to trust.
I learned (can learn) from it.
I do the best I can.
Resource Team
Client Handout Version

Utilize the following to assist yourself with feeling more supported or to

recognize the supports and resources that you have in your life. With all
of the roles listed below, visualize each of these roles and what they
would say to you, how they would support you, or what they would each
remind you of.

Ideal Self: Imagine yourself as the person that you wish/want to be.
What would you be doing? How would you resolve conflict? Is there
anything they would encourage you to do now? What hope would they
leave with you now?

Protectors: Imagine any people, dead or alive, real or imagined that

offer protection, keep you safe, would watch over you and be strong
when you felt week. Imagine each protector individually and notice the
protection that they would provide

Nurturers: Imagine any people, dead or alive, real or imagined that

offer love, comfort, acceptance and non judgment. Imagine each image
of these nurturers and the nurturing qualities they would give you

Wise Figures: Imagine any people, dead or alive, real or imagined that
offer wisdom. Notice the knowledge they would bring. Notice the
answers they would help you find. Notice their confidence and certainty.
Imagine each wise figure individually and notice the wisdom that they
provide.

Spiritual Figures: Imagine any people, dead or alive, real or imagined

that offer spiritual guidance. Notice the infinite wisdom, faith and
comfort that they provide.

Once all of the above are established and thought of, bring all these
figures together and have them remind you of your strengths and
remember that they will all be with you whenever you need them.

Megan Howard, LCSW 2020